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Labour councillor breaches party policy to slam trams scheme



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LABOUR councillor Eric Barry has branded Edinburgh's trams scheme a "substitute bus service".
The Colinton/Fairmilehead councillor broke ranks with his party colleagues to criticise the controversial £498 million project. At a council meeting to discuss the final business case for trams, Councillor Barry said: "We are getting so little for all this money.

"It's our own fault for setting our sights too low. For some reason, we are too afraid to go back to Holyrood and ask for more money."

Despite goading from the SNP bench, Cllr Barry voted to approve the business case – because "the alternative is to do nothing".

But he was also scathing of tram firm TIE, which he accused of producing "misleading artists' impressions" and failing properly to publicise the major effect trams will have on other traffic.

He predicted: "Bus fares are going to continue to increase every year above inflation to cover the cost of running the trams."



The full article contains 164 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

 
1

juan kerr and his dead magic hands, now re risen.,

26/12/2007 12:03:24
SHOCK HORROR! Labour has some back bone! oh, true to form he still votes for it though! Laughable.

Unfortuntely short lived:
"Cllr Barry voted to approve the business case – because "the alternative is to do nothing"."

Can i sugest Mr Barry The allternative is, that all these services could receive cash that your fellow labour councillors are claiming will be cut, slashed and burned. Wendy could live in a world were she doesnt have to bring out poor and disabled children as a cynical deflection mechanism.

Another self serving councillor , towing the party line and putting his electorate firmly at the back of his agenda.

2

It's Badger,

Green Planet 26/12/2007 12:11:12
Clearly the man's an idiot.
3

...Groundhog,

26/12/2007 13:34:30
What do you expect from an ignorant taxi driver.
4

micky,

edinburgh 26/12/2007 14:52:32
I wonder how many other councllors feel the same ? Whole ridiculous thing was bulldozed through & will be one of the biggest disasters ever to befall Edinburgh, and we have had some crackers up until now !!!!!
5

Andrew D,

26/12/2007 15:53:23
It's a tragedy that that money is being wasted on such a stupid thing.

Imagine how much better the road infrastructure could be and how many fully subsidised park and road schemes that could buy to absolutely sort out congestion.
6

James (1),

26/12/2007 18:15:17
Despite goading from the SNP bench, Cllr Barry voted to approve the business case – because "the alternative is to do nothing".
So we spend, sorry, waste a huge amount of money on the one track money guzzler. Everyone knows the fares will need to go up to help pay for this and so will parking. The can use money gathered from this to use of "transport matters". So I suppose pouring money into the tram line to keep it afloat is "transport matters". So is cutting bus services to save money on "transport matters".
He is a question using the same logic as the councillor. I don't beat my wife, so should I start "as the alternative is to do nothing"?
7

a proud doonhamer,

Dumfries 27/12/2007 01:38:07
I don't agree. It is a waste of money... Councillor Barry.

To bad his convictions end before the vote. A typical Labour councillor more worried about his pocket than his principles.
8

williamx,

canada 27/12/2007 04:05:19
Vancouver uses electric trolley buses with two wires above and no tracks to run on. Why are you going back to 1930's technology?
9

morris,

edinburgh 27/12/2007 07:51:23
8

Because we are a nation of idiots William!Many Edinburgh people beleive that repalcing an existing bus service with something which does exactly the same thing represents money well spent!

We also believe that in subsidising London plus contributing £236 billion into the UK exchequer,none of which will ever return to Scotland,that we are better off!

If Councillor Barry feels the need to come clean over this,the logical thing to do is quit the Labour bench and defect,or does he agree that he should continue as a Labour councillor,even though he does not agree with this stupid scheme,nor does his own party chancellor who was Transport Secretary,who interestingly enough will be the Labour candidate for Edinburgh South West,which is where Colinton/Fairmilehead
is located.
You know what a newfie is in Canada,Well we Scots are tartan newfies !Some of us anyway.
10

Richardinho,

28/12/2007 05:50:30
The only reason this is going through is because the opposition at Holyrood wanted to flex it's muscles and prove that it could do something.

well they sure did that-they proved they can still make a dogs dinner out of things even in opposition!
11

A Better Way,

Edinburgh 07/01/2008 13:26:55
Well as they say, there will be plenty of time for the Brit Nats to contemplate their decision to spend the Scottish purse, just to prove they could do it. When the Scottish People have the opportunity to show the three Brit Nat Parties exactly what we think about their iresponsable actions. Its not 498 million only as we all know its also the forty five million that the Council has to raise as their contribution. I suppose the Folk of Edinburgh are going to screwed even tighter for this money, when most of them have got bucklies chance of getting one to work, because they dont go that way.

And the tubes Darling who cut Scottish money over the next three years just to have a go at our first real government will be out on his ear. Not that it will bother him because mummy and daddy have got heaps of the readies. He does nothing for Scotland and is just a tory in disguise.

Lets get Brown the halfwit and his Brit Nats Labour Party out of Westminster at the next election. You know it makes sense.

 

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